South Dakota Yesterday & Today: A Photography Exhibition by Paul Horsted
Experience South Dakota's past and present through the lens of acclaimed photographer and author Paul Horsted.
"South Dakota Yesterday & Today" invites visitors on a visual journey through the state's rich history, pairing historic photographs with contemporary images captured from the same locations. Presented as a companion to Horsted's major new book of the same name, this gallery exhibition brings the volume's most striking pages to life on the walls. The displayed pairings showcase the depth of Horsted's years-long "re-photography" project, offering a glimpse at the historical transformations documented in his new release.
Through these remarkable then-and-now comparisons, Horsted reveals how South Dakota's landscapes, communities, and landmarks have transformed over time, while celebrating the enduring character of the state. Blending history, photography, and storytelling, this exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to see familiar places in an entirely new light and discover the connections between South Dakota's past and present.
The exhibition will be on display at the Center for Western Studies at Augustana University through February 26, 2027. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, and the public is encouraged to visit.
An artist reception and book signing will be held Tuesday, November 10, from 6-8 p.m. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
The CWS has several display cases throughout the galleries that exhibit materials on a variety of changing themes. The current exhibits are:
Native Reflections on America's 250th
Although framed as a celebration, the United States Bicentennial in 1976 carried very different meaning for Native American communities. After 200 years of broken treaties, land dispossession, and forced assimilation, they viewed American history through the lens of colonization. Fifty years later, we’ve asked Native American scholars and artists connected to CWS to share what the 250th anniversary means to them. Acknowledging the complexity of our fellow citizens’ experiences, their thoughts are displayed together with historical Native American artifacts featuring flag iconography from the center’s collections.
Building Skills, Building America: Life in the Civilian Conservation Corps, South Dakota, 1933-1942
This exhibit by intern Lauren Murphy explores the impact of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in South Dakota from 1933 to 1942, highlighting how the program provided structure, education, and economic support to 30,000 young men during the Great Depression while transforming the state’s landscape through conservation and infrastructure projects. During this commemorative anniversary, the CCC reflects a powerful moment of federal and local cooperation in American history, demonstrating how national investment in public service strengthened both communities and individual opportunity, creating an enduring legacy still visible across South Dakota today.
One Nation under God: Indigenous Assimilation in St. Mary's Episcopal School for Indian Girls
Operating from 1884 to 1986, St. Mary’s Episcopal School for Indian Girls was one of several Native American boarding schools in South Dakota. Established to integrate Native children into American society and convert them to Christianity, the legacy of St. Mary’s is complicated. In exploring the school's history, this exhibit by intern Catherine Banson reflects the complex legacies that have shaped the country's foundations, including its Christian roots.
Groton Rum Drum: A Revolutionary War Keepsake
With our Northern Plains focus, the Center for Western Studies has limited connections to the Revolutionary War. But America’s 250th anniversary is a unique opportunity to display the lone Revolutionary War artifact in the center’s collections: a rum ration barrel carried by Massachusetts soldier Joshua Parker. This display by intern Catherine Banson explores the Continental Army’s use of spirits, and the important role rum played in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Jennie Berdahl's Wedding Dress
Together with interpretive text by intern PattyJo English, the dress Jennie Berdahl wore when she married author Ole E. Rolvaag in 1908 is now on exhibit. Rolvaag and Berdahl met while students in the academy division of Augustana College in Canton, South Dakota, graduating in 1901 and 1903, respectively. Rolvaag continued his studies at St. Olaf College but maintained correspondence with Berdahl and proposed to her in 1903. For many years, the dress was displayed in the Berdahl-Rolvaag House, one of the buildings comprising Heritage Park, managed by the Nordland Heritage Foundation. The dress was one of several items CWS staff selected for transfer to the center’s collections when Heritage Park closed in 2022.
